We decided it would be fun to interview 10 of the smartest marketing
gurus we know, including 7 multi-millionaires, about the best ways to increase
customer and cash flow for just about any business.

What we got were a variety of fresh, innovative ideas -- and
once you read them, you will know that they came from a group of folks who have
already made it big in businesses of their own.

The following are the "15 Best" ideas for super
charging your business, no matter what kind of business you are in.

1. "Same-Old" is out -- Getting attention with
something new is in. To get new business, you must strive to be innovative and
dramatic. For example, an insurance agency, offered "the biggest steak
dinner in town" if it couldn't save any person money on their car
insurance. This challenge was enough to make the telephone start ringing off the
hook for days at a time. The customer flow was "absolutely crazy" for
days. The bottom line: dozens of new insurance buyers and tons of new cash flow
-- and all they had to do was fork out the cost for a half dozen steak dinners!

2. Tight target marketing. The big job in marketing and sales
is getting to the right people inside another company. Addressing mail to
"Facilities Manager" or printing a "routing slip" on the
outside of the envelope is ineffective. Hitting the target is the challenge. Scoring
a bull's eye means making contact with the right individuals and is the only way
to make the sale. Taking time to be highly targeted in business communication is
essential.

3. Be more creative. Pushing direct-mail pieces out the door
or sending the newsletter to the mail room isn't doing the job. Ask yourself:
"Will anyone be intrigued enough to read the mailer--before tossing it in
the wastebasket?" Ask the same question about the company newsletter. A
highly creative approach is necessary to be different and distinctive.
Creativity costs money. But, if more people read the ad, take time with the
newsletter or decide that the offer in a mailer makes sense, you have
accomplished the goal.

4. Focus on what customers care about. After listening to the
admissions director talk about what should be shown in the school's new
recruiting video, the marketing consultant asked, "Is this what parents and
prospective students are interested in knowing?" Suddenly, everyone became less
confident. Someone suggested asking the student tour guides what questions the
visiting parents and kids asked? Whether creating an ad, a brochure, or a sales presentation, knowing
what the customer wants, needs and expects is what works.

5. Tell customers how to think about your company. We come to conclusions
by making comparisons. If you don't let customers and prospects know why it is
in their best interests to do business with you or buy your product, they won't.
The rating of life insurance companies makes an impact on customers. The J.D.
Powers' customer-satisfaction survey on cars and personal computer manufacturers
influences buying behavior. Wise companies spend time and effort consciously
influencing the way they are perceived by customers, prospects, bankers and
stockholders.

6. Make your offers outstanding. Customers are cautious. They
don't like being put on the spot; they don't want to make a mistake. This is why
offers are essential. "Try it for 30 days...free." "We won't
deposit your credit card slip for a month." "Your satisfaction is
guaranteed." "Take the car for the weekend and drive it all you
want." The goal is to overcome the customer's reluctance.

7. Be in the right place at the right time. "Why didn't I
think of you last week when we bought the new..." Some salespeople simply
shrug off such comments. "Oh, well. I can't be in the right place every
time." Wrong. Being in front of the customer is today's assignment.
Developing a consistent program for staying in front of customers regularly is
the challenge. A mix of seminars, newsletters, bulletins, fact sheets, special
events and informative articles will keep you in the customers' minds.

8. Name your product or service. One of the best ways to
differentiate your products or services from all the rest is to give them
distinctive names. A building contractor with expertise in remodeling during
off-hours calls himself the "stealth" remodeled. A fuel oil dealer
doesn't talk about service--he emphasizes "Comfort Care Service." The
idea is to imbue ordinary ideas with new meaning thereby separating your company
from your competitors. Make sure, however, that the name appeals to your
customers and not just to you.

9. Be relentless. Persistence is power in marketing and sales.
Far too many firms fail in their efforts because they don't follow through long
enough to produce proper results. Marketing momentum comes from a consistent
effort. Once you start a newsletter, issue it on schedule. It takes time for
customers to comprehend what you are doing and for prospects to get
acquainted--and comfortable--with a business.

10. Get rid of the self-serving nonsense. Most company
publications, ads, letters, brochures, and other sales materials are filled with
words, photographs and information that do nothing more than toot the company's
horn. No one cares that the business says it is the "best,"
"oldest" or the "biggest." Pictures of the staff are only
interesting to the staff. A better approach is to ask prospects what they want
to know about your company. We doubt anyone will be anxious to see pictures of
the CEO, chairman of the board or the executive vice president.

11. Tell them everything you know. Spill the beans, so to speak. Since
today's customers want information, knowledge and helpful ideas, do everything
you can to share everything you know. This is the only way to become a valued
resource to your customers. When people use your ideas, they will buy what you
sell.

12. Be generous. No one wants to do business with firms operating on
a one-way street. Buy a new car and the dealer hands you a 20-cent plastic key
holder! It sends a message that this dealer doesn't under-stand his customers.
You may forget the car, but you will never forget the lousy key ring! Another
auto dealer delivers the new car to your office. What a difference. This dealer
sends a powerful message--our customers are important.

13. Make prospect identification your mission. The single most important
daily activity in any business is prospect identification. By making prospecting
a continuing process, companies produce a steady flow of new sales leads. They
never stop asking, "Who do we want to do business with if we have the
chance?" Then make sure all prospects are entered into a database so they
can be cultivated over a period of time.

14. Scrutinize your corporate identity. Yes, how a company
presents itself makes a difference. Is the logo appropriate? Is it dated? Does
it communicate the right message and the correct image? Is the president the
only one who understands it? What about the company colors? Are they reminiscent
of the late '50s? Do the letterhead, mailing labels and business cards convey a
strong, positive message? Or, are they dull and ordinary looking? If you don't
think this is important, your competitors will be thrilled. Corporate identity
is the face you put on your company.

15. Write customer-centered letters. Most business letters
have cold, impersonal words. "As per our conversation..."
"Pursuant to our agreement..." When was the last time you heard anyone
talk this way at lunch (other than perhaps a lawyer)? Yet, give the same
executives a pen and they become stilted. There is no reason why business
letters should not be warm, friendly, conversational, interesting--and
customer-centered. Write as if you were the one reading it. Should a letter end
at the bottom of the first page? Yes, if that's what it takes to tell the story?
But it may take two, four or six pages. A letter should be as long as necessary
and always interesting to the reader.